Software Engineering Manager, Product Management - Experience Prototyping

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Software Engineering Manager, Product Management - Experience Prototyping

Company: General Motors

Location: Warren, Michigan, United States; Mountain View, California, United States; Oshawa, Ontario, Canada

Job Type: FULL_TIME

Category: Software Engineering / Product Management Operations

Date Posted: 2026-04-24

Experience Level: 10+ years

Remote Status: Hybrid (3 days in office minimum)

🚀 Role Summary

• Lead a team of full stack software engineers in the rapid development of functional prototypes to inform product roadmaps and validate customer value.

• Serve as a technical consultant, collaborating with product managers, designers, and engineering teams to ensure alignment with user needs and strategic goals across web, mobile, and embedded platforms.

• Architect, develop, and deploy prototype solutions that function as experiments, gathering insights and data to enable informed decision-making throughout the organization.

• Provide subject matter expertise and best practice recommendations for software development across a wide range of technologies and platforms, with a focus on emerging trends and GM's unique ecosystem.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is positioned at the intersection of software engineering leadership and product management, with a strong emphasis on rapid prototyping and innovation within the automotive sector. The focus on "experience prototyping" indicates a need for individuals who can translate abstract concepts into tangible, testable software solutions, bridging the gap between ideation and product validation. This is not a traditional production software engineering role but rather one focused on experimentation and discovery.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Lead and mentor a team of full stack software engineers, fostering a collaborative and innovative environment focused on rapid prototyping and iterative development.

• Architect, develop, and deploy prototype solutions across web, mobile, and embedded platforms, ensuring they serve as effective experiments for data collection and insight generation.

• Act as a technical consultant to Product Management, Design, and Engineering teams, providing guidance on future product experiences and ensuring alignment with GM's overarching software and hardware ecosystem.

• Collaborate closely with Product Managers and UX/UI Designers to translate user needs and strategic objectives into functional prototypes that can be early validated for customer and business value.

• Continuously research and integrate knowledge of emerging technologies, development frameworks, GM's vehicle development cycles, in-vehicle and cloud-based architectures, and GM's business model to enhance prototyping capabilities and strategic alignment.

• Embrace a breadth-over-depth approach to technology, focusing on rapid exploration of diverse tools and platforms rather than long-term production implementation.

• Consult with production product execution teams to ensure seamless integration pathways between prototypes and GM’s broader technology and services ecosystem.

• Champion the adoption of user-centered design principles and data-driven decision-making throughout the prototyping lifecycle.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities clearly indicate a need for a leader who can balance technical execution with strategic influence. The emphasis on "breadth-over-depth" is critical, suggesting that candidates should be comfortable quickly learning and applying new technologies for experimental purposes, rather than deep specialization in a single area. The role requires strong cross-functional communication and the ability to influence product direction based on prototype outcomes.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education:

Experience:

• A minimum of 7+ years of progressive experience in full stack software development.

• A minimum of 2+ years of experience in a team leadership or people management role, demonstrating the ability to guide and mentor engineering teams.

• Proven experience in building products within the innovation or rapid prototyping space, showcasing a track record of bringing experimental ideas to life.

• Demonstrated experience in decomposing complex features and user stories into actionable work items for engineering teams.

Required Skills:

• Front End Development: Proficiency in ReactJS, HTML, and CSS for building interactive user interfaces.

• Back End Development: Expertise in Python and Node.js (including Next.js) for server-side logic and API development.

• Mobile Development: Experience with Android development, specifically using Kotlin and Jetpack Compose.

• Prototyping: Proven ability to rapidly build functional prototypes and proof-of-concepts.

• Technical Leadership: Demonstrated capability to lead engineering teams, provide technical direction, and foster a culture of innovation.

• Strategic Thinking: Exceptional ability to translate complex technical and product ideas into actionable requirements and strategic plans.

• Communication & Presentation: Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with a strong ability to influence and engage stakeholders at all levels of the organization.

• Analytical Skills: Strong capability to analyze data, derive insights, and use them to inform decisions.

Preferred Skills:

• Deep understanding of automotive software and hardware architecture, including in-vehicle systems, connectivity, and embedded platforms.

• Prior experience working with or within General Motors (GM), or strong familiarity with GM’s technology stack, development cycles, and product ecosystem.

• Demonstrated ability to bridge technical and business domains, especially in fast-paced prototyping or innovation environments.

• Experience collaborating with cross-functional teams in large enterprise or automotive settings.

• Familiarity with Machine Learning frameworks such as Scikit-learn for data-driven decision-making in prototypes.

• Experience with multiple rapid prototyping methodologies and lean product development frameworks.

📝 Enhancement Note: The combination of required full-stack technologies (ReactJS, Python, Node.js, Android/Kotlin) points to a need for versatile engineers capable of working across different layers of the software stack. The leadership experience requirement, coupled with prototyping experience, suggests a role that is hands-on technically but also strategically focused on guiding the team's output. Preferred qualifications highlight a strong desire for candidates with direct automotive industry experience, particularly with GM.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Demonstrated Prototyping Projects: Showcase a portfolio of at least 2-3 significant rapid prototyping projects that highlight your ability to quickly translate concepts into functional software. These should include web, mobile, or embedded applications.

• Technical Stack Diversity: Provide examples that illustrate your proficiency across the required full-stack technologies (ReactJS, Python, Node.js/Next.js, Android/Kotlin). Detail the specific technologies used for each project and your role in their implementation.

• User-Centric Design Integration: Include case studies or project descriptions that explain how user needs were incorporated into the design and development of prototypes, demonstrating collaboration with UX/UI teams.

• Innovation & Experimentation: Highlight projects that involved exploring new technologies, testing hypotheses, or gathering user feedback to inform future product direction. Quantify the impact or learnings derived from these experiments where possible.

Process Documentation:

• Workflow Design for Prototyping: Be prepared to discuss your approach to designing and managing workflows for rapid prototyping teams, emphasizing agility, iteration, and efficient feedback loops.

• Technical Consultation Framework: Articulate a framework for how you provide technical consultation to product and design teams, ensuring prototypes align with broader architectural strategies and business goals.

• Data Gathering & Analysis for Prototypes: Detail methodologies for collecting relevant data from prototypes and how that data is analyzed to generate actionable insights for product roadmapping and decision-making.

• Cross-Functional Collaboration Models: Describe how you facilitate collaboration between engineering, product, design, and other relevant stakeholders during the prototyping phase to ensure alignment and buy-in.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a role focused on prototyping and innovation, the portfolio is paramount. Candidates should prepare to not just show finished products, but to articulate the process behind them – how ideas were conceived, rapidly developed, tested, and iterated upon. Emphasis should be placed on demonstrating the ability to learn and adapt quickly, and to extract meaningful insights from experimental projects.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range:

• The estimated salary range for this position in the specified US locations (particularly California Bay Area) is $189,300 - $290,700 USD annually.

Benefits:

• Incentive Pay Program: Eligibility for bonus payouts based on company performance, job level, and individual performance, providing an additional layer of compensation.

• Company Vehicle Evaluation Program: Opportunity to participate in a program where a General Motors vehicle is assigned for evaluation, requiring a commitment to purchasing/leasing a qualifying GM vehicle every four years.

• Total Rewards Resources: Access to comprehensive resources detailing GM's total rewards package, which typically includes health insurance, retirement plans (e.g., 401k), paid time off, and other benefits designed to support employee well-being and financial security.

Working Hours:

• Standard full-time hours are expected, typically around 40 hours per week.

• The role is categorized as hybrid, requiring a minimum of three days per week reporting to the office in Warren, MI, or Mountain View, CA.

• Travel is expected to be less than 25% for this role.

📝 Enhancement Note: The salary range provided is specific to the California Bay Area and may vary for other locations. The bonus potential and company vehicle program are significant benefits that add to the total compensation package. The hybrid work arrangement and travel requirements are key factors for candidates to consider regarding work-life balance and flexibility.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Automotive Manufacturing & Technology. General Motors is a global leader in the automotive industry, actively transforming to become a leader in software-defined vehicles and electric mobility.

Company Size: Large enterprise, with tens of thousands of employees globally. This implies a structured environment with established processes, but also opportunities for impact within specialized teams.

Founded: 1908. With over a century of history, GM possesses deep institutional knowledge and a strong legacy, now coupled with a forward-looking vision for future mobility.

Team Structure:

• Software & Services Product Management: This team is dedicated to building a world-class software development culture, focusing on tightly integrating software, hardware, and services to create compelling vehicle experiences.

• Experience Prototyping Team: A specialized sub-team within Software & Services Product Management, focused on rapid development and validation of new software experiences across various platforms.

• Reporting Structure: The Engineering Lead will likely report to a Director or Senior Manager within Software & Services Product Management, with direct reports being full stack software engineers.

• Cross-Functional Collaboration: The role necessitates close collaboration with Product Managers, UX/UI Designers, various engineering disciplines (hardware, embedded systems), and potentially marketing and business strategy teams.

Methodology:

• Agile/Iterative Development: Given the focus on rapid prototyping, agile methodologies and iterative development cycles are likely employed to ensure quick feedback and adaptation.

• Data-Driven Decision Making: Prototypes are designed to gather data and insights, underscoring a commitment to evidence-based product development.

• User-Centered Design: A core tenet, ensuring that developed experiences are aligned with customer needs and preferences.

• Innovation & Experimentation: The team culture embraces exploring new technologies and concepts through rapid prototyping.

Company Website: https://www.gm.com/

📝 Enhancement Note: GM's transition towards software-defined vehicles means that operations roles within its product and engineering divisions are becoming increasingly critical. The culture likely balances established corporate structures with the agility required for innovation in cutting-edge technology areas. Candidates should be prepared for a large, matrixed organization where influencing and collaborating across diverse teams is key.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is a Senior Engineering Management position, bridging hands-on technical leadership with strategic product input. It's a key role for individuals aiming to lead innovation teams within a large automotive technology company.

Reporting Structure: The Software Engineering Manager will report to a higher-level manager within the Software & Services Product Management organization. They will lead a team of full-stack software engineers, focusing on their technical growth and project delivery.

Operations Impact: The work directly influences the future direction of GM's software-defined vehicles by validating new customer experiences and business models through rapid prototyping. Successful prototypes can lead to significant product roadmap adjustments and investments, directly impacting revenue potential and customer satisfaction.

Growth Opportunities:

• Technical Specialization/Expansion: Opportunity to deepen expertise in emerging technologies relevant to automotive software, cloud architecture, and advanced UI/UX through hands-on prototyping.

• Leadership Development: Potential to grow into higher management roles, leading larger engineering teams or taking on broader product strategy responsibilities within GM's software division.

• Cross-Functional Mobility: Experience gained in this role can open doors to product management, program management, or advanced technology research roles within GM.

• Industry Influence: By contributing to cutting-edge automotive software experiences, there's an opportunity to influence industry standards and future mobility solutions.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role offers a unique blend of technical leadership and product strategy within a major industry player undergoing significant digital transformation. The emphasis on prototyping provides a dynamic environment for learning and growth, preparing individuals for future leadership roles in the evolving automotive technology landscape.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Hybrid work environment. The role requires a minimum of three days per week in the office, indicating a blend of remote flexibility and in-person collaboration.

Office Location(s):

• GM Global Technical Center, Warren, MI: A major hub for engineering and research.

• Mountain View, CA: Located in Silicon Valley, potentially offering a more startup-like environment within the larger corporation.

Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Spaces: Offices are likely equipped with collaborative spaces, meeting rooms, and potentially areas for hands-on technical work or demonstrations, facilitating interaction among team members and cross-functional partners.

• Technology Access: Expect access to robust IT infrastructure, development tools, and potentially specialized hardware or simulation environments necessary for prototyping automotive software.

• Team Interaction: The hybrid model encourages regular interaction with direct reports and stakeholders, fostering team cohesion and enabling efficient problem-solving through face-to-face discussions.

Work Schedule:

• Standard full-time (approx. 40 hours/week) with a hybrid arrangement.

• Flexibility in work hours may be available, but adherence to core collaboration times with the team and stakeholders is expected.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid nature of this role, coupled with multiple potential office locations, offers flexibility. Candidates should consider which location best suits their needs and understand the expectations for in-office presence, particularly the minimum three-day requirement. The Silicon Valley location (Mountain View) might suggest a faster-paced, more innovation-focused sub-culture within GM.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screening: A recruiter or hiring manager will likely conduct an initial phone screen to assess basic qualifications, experience, and alignment with the role's core requirements.

• Technical/Leadership Interviews: Expect multiple rounds of interviews focusing on technical depth, leadership capabilities, problem-solving skills, and experience with prototyping. This may include coding challenges or system design discussions.

• Portfolio Presentation: A dedicated session will likely be scheduled for you to present your portfolio. This is a critical part of the evaluation, where you will walk through selected projects, explaining your approach, the technologies used, challenges overcome, and the impact of your work.

• Cross-Functional/Stakeholder Interviews: Interviews with Product Managers, UX/UI Designers, and potentially senior leadership to assess collaboration style, strategic thinking, and ability to influence.

• Final Interview: A final interview, potentially with a senior executive, to confirm fit and discuss overall alignment with GM's vision and culture.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Curate Strategically: Select 3-4 of your strongest, most relevant projects. Prioritize those that showcase your full-stack capabilities, leadership in prototyping, and user-centered approach.

• Tell a Story: For each project, structure your presentation around the problem, your proposed solution (the prototype), the technical execution, the challenges encountered, the learnings, and the outcome or impact.

• Quantify Impact: Wherever possible, use metrics to demonstrate the value of your prototypes (e.g., user feedback collected, validation of a feature, speed of development).

• Highlight Leadership: Clearly articulate your role in leading the team, mentoring engineers, and making key technical or strategic decisions.

• Technical Depth: Be prepared to dive deep into the technical aspects of your projects, explaining architectural choices, technology trade-offs, and development methodologies.

• Company Alignment: Tailor your presentation to highlight how your experience and approach align with GM's goals in software-defined vehicles and innovation.

Challenge Preparation:

• Prototyping Scenario: Be ready for a hypothetical scenario where you are asked to design and outline the development of a prototype for a new vehicle feature. Focus on your approach, key technologies, and how you would gather feedback.

• Leadership/Team Management: Prepare to discuss how you handle underperforming team members, motivate engineers, and foster a collaborative environment.

• Technical Problem Solving: Anticipate questions related to debugging complex issues, architecting scalable solutions, or choosing appropriate technologies for rapid development.

• Strategic Product Thinking: Be ready to discuss how prototypes inform product strategy and how you balance technical feasibility with user needs and business objectives.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process emphasizes a combination of technical prowess, leadership acumen, and strategic product thinking. The portfolio presentation is a key differentiator, requiring candidates to articulate their value proposition clearly and compellingly, showcasing not just what they built, but how and why.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Front End: ReactJS, HTML, CSS

• Back End: Python, Node.js, Next.js

• Mobile Development: Android (Kotlin, Jetpack Compose)

• Version Control: Git (likely GitHub, GitLab, or Bitbucket)

• Project Management: Agile tools like Jira, Confluence, or similar for tracking user stories, tasks, and documentation.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Prototyping Analytics: Tools for collecting and analyzing user interaction data from prototypes (specifics may vary, but could include custom logging, analytics platforms, or A/B testing frameworks).

• Data Visualization: Tools for creating dashboards and reports to present prototype findings to stakeholders (e.g., Tableau, Power BI, or custom solutions).

CRM & Automation:

Cloud Platforms:

• Experience with cloud platforms such as AWS, Azure, or GCP is likely beneficial, as many modern applications and prototypes leverage cloud infrastructure for scalability and deployment.

📝 Enhancement Note: The required technical stack is clearly defined. Candidates should be prepared to discuss their experience with these specific technologies, focusing on how they've used them in rapid prototyping and full-stack development contexts. Familiarity with cloud environments and data analytics tools will be advantageous for building robust experiments and deriving meaningful insights.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Innovation & Curiosity: A drive to explore new technologies, experiment with novel approaches, and push the boundaries of what's possible in automotive software.

• User-Centricity: A deep commitment to understanding and addressing customer needs through intuitive and compelling software experiences.

• Collaboration & Inclusivity: Fostering an environment where diverse perspectives are valued, and cross-functional teams work together effectively towards shared goals.

• Agility & Speed: Embracing rapid iteration and quick feedback loops to accelerate learning and product development.

• Impact-Driven: Focusing on delivering tangible value and measurable outcomes through well-designed prototypes and data-informed decisions.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-Functional Integration: Strong emphasis on seamless collaboration between engineering, product management, design, and other business units to ensure holistic product development.

• Open Communication: Encouraging direct and honest feedback, both within the team and with external stakeholders, to drive continuous improvement.

• Knowledge Sharing: A culture of sharing insights, best practices, and learnings across teams to elevate collective expertise.

• Empirical Approach: Valuing data and evidence over assumptions when making decisions about product direction and feature development.

📝 Enhancement Note: GM's emphasis on innovation and user-centricity, combined with its status as a large automotive manufacturer, suggests a culture that values both groundbreaking ideas and robust, well-integrated execution. Candidates should be prepared to demonstrate how they embody these values in their leadership and technical approach.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Navigating Large Enterprise Structures: Balancing the need for rapid prototyping and agility with the established processes and timelines of a large automotive corporation.

• Integrating Prototypes with Production Systems: Ensuring that learnings from prototypes can be effectively translated into production-ready software within GM's complex ecosystem.

• Keeping Pace with Emerging Technologies: Continuously evaluating and adopting new tools and frameworks relevant to automotive software and user experience.

• Managing Stakeholder Expectations: Effectively communicating the value and limitations of prototypes to diverse stakeholders and managing expectations for future product development.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Exposure to Cutting-Edge Automotive Tech: Direct involvement in shaping the future of software-defined vehicles and electric mobility.

• Cross-Disciplinary Skill Development: Opportunities to deepen knowledge in areas like UX/UI design, product strategy, and automotive systems architecture.

• Leadership Training: Access to GM's leadership development programs and mentorship opportunities for career advancement.

• Industry Conferences & Certifications: Potential support for attending relevant tech conferences and pursuing certifications in areas like agile development, cloud computing, or specific technologies.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role presents the challenge of operating at the forefront of technological innovation within a structured, large-scale environment. The growth opportunities are significant, offering a path for individuals to become leaders in a rapidly evolving automotive technology sector.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• "Describe a time you led a team to build a rapid prototype for a novel user experience. What was your approach, what technologies did you use, and what were the key learnings?"

• "How would you translate the concept of 'software-defined vehicles' into tangible prototypes that demonstrate value to customers?"

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What interests you most about General Motors' vision for the future of mobility and software-defined vehicles?"

• "How do you foster a culture of innovation and rapid experimentation within an engineering team, especially within a large organization like GM?"

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Structure for Impact: For each project, clearly define the problem statement, your role and leadership, the prototype's technical details, key challenges and solutions, and the insights gained.

• Demonstrate Adaptability: Highlight instances where you had to quickly learn new technologies or pivot your approach based on feedback or technical constraints.

• Quantify Value: Use metrics to showcase the success of your prototypes, whether it's user adoption, validation of hypotheses, or speed of delivery.

• Engage and Discuss: Be prepared for in-depth Q&A about your projects. Frame your responses to showcase your strategic thinking, technical expertise, and leadership capabilities.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interview preparation should focus on demonstrating a strong understanding of both technical execution and strategic product thinking, with a clear emphasis on rapid prototyping methodologies and leadership. Candidates must be ready to articulate their contributions and insights with specific examples.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Software Engineering Manager position:

• Submit your application through the General Motors careers portal.

• Portfolio Customization: Curate your professional portfolio to prominently feature 2-3 of your most impactful rapid prototyping projects. Ensure these examples showcase your full-stack development skills (ReactJS, Python, Node.js, Android/Kotlin), leadership experience, and user-centered design integration.

• Resume Optimization: Tailor your resume to highlight keywords related to software engineering management, product management, rapid prototyping, full-stack development, and specific technologies mentioned in the job description. Quantify achievements wherever possible.

• Interview Preparation: Practice articulating your experience using the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) for behavioral questions. Prepare a concise and compelling narrative for your portfolio presentation, focusing on the "why" and "how" behind your projects.

• Company Research: Deeply understand GM's current initiatives in software-defined vehicles, electric mobility, and their overall business strategy. Prepare thoughtful questions about the team's roadmap, challenges, and culture.

⚠️ Important Notice: This enhanced job description includes AI-generated insights and operations industry-standard assumptions. All details should be verified directly with the hiring organization before making application decisions.